New Iowa Archery Park: Small on Space, Big on Safety

According to Michelle Zeug, ATA director of archery and bowhunting programs, "Many archery parks need two to five acres, but containment ranges generally need an acre or less.”

A new facility in West Des Moines, Iowa, will prove archers can shoot safely in a small space. The Des Moines Register reports the Raccoon River Park Archery Facility will be the first of its kind in Iowa.

With rubber belting overhead, 12 shooting lanes will be fenced in with a combination of solid wood walls and chain link. The Archery Trade Association designed the facility, which state officials expect will draw regular visitors from most of central Iowa. It will also likely serve the entire state with archery competitions and workshops.

The Raccoon River Park Archery Facility, which opens in Spring 2014, is called a containment range, the third of its kind nationwide. Containment ranges can be built on small pieces of land, said Michelle Zeug, ATA’s director of archery and bowhunting programs.

“Many archery parks need two to five acres, but containment ranges generally need an acre or less,” Zeug said. “Archers are outside under a shelter, but they can’t see beyond its walls, and arrows can’t escape the range. It’s a safe outdoor facility that needs minimal space.”

At least 30 archery parks now operate nationwide, with more in various planning stages.